Laser-equipped icebreakers could appear in Russian Arctic

The laser works like a glass-cutting tool, making incisions in the ice in front of an icebreaker to facilitate the passage of the vessel. Source: DPA / Vostock-Photo

Russian scientists have developed a new laser cutter capable of slicing through the thick ice covering the Arctic. According to the researchers, the invention will aid in significantly increasing traffic along the Northern Sea Route. Nevertheless, some Russian polar explorers have greeted the new technology with skepticism.

While the Arctic remains
one of the least explored frontiers on Earth, various new ice protection
devices, seismic prospecting technologies and power installations for ships
have recently been appearing on the market.

One of the latest Russian
inventions is a laser ice cutter, developed by the Moscow-based KURS research institute. Engineers at KURS believe their laser will
revolutionize Arctic exploration, helping to increase traffic several-fold along
the Northern Sea Route, the main shipping lane passing along the Russian Arctic
coast. According to KURS Head Lev Klyachko, the project was based on research
conducted by Russian scientists over the past decade and is approaching completion.

Science of ice slicing

The laser works like a
glass-cutting tool, making incisions in the ice in front of an icebreaker to facilitate
the passage of the vessel. The inventors claim the device will enable the making
of wider paths in ice so that icebreakers can escort ships of greater width.

Experts at Rostec State Corporation
(a Russian non-profit entity promoting the development of high-tech products)
say the laser cutter will be economically profitable, as it will allow for the
creation of new shipping lanes and increase traffic volumes.

Vladimir Pushkarev, the
director of the Russian Arctic Exploration Institute, also emphasizes the issue
of traffic. “If the laser can help speed up the icebreakers traveling along
Northern seas, it must be installed,” Pushkarev told RBTH.

Can a laser be efficient in an Arctic climate?

The inventors at KURS say
their laser cutters will be capable of making incisions and cuts in a layer of
ice several meters thick and will help make passages possible for heavy
icebreakers, as well as transport vessels. However, famous Russian polar
explorer Viktor Boyarsky says the cold temperatures in the Arctic will restore
the ice too quickly for the laser to cut through it efficiently.

“As a person who has made
numerous expeditions to the Arctic, I simply do not understand how this laser
can help navigation,” says Boyarsky. “Granted, the device can cut through ice
floes three-meters thick, but the cuts will heal as soon as the ray moves away .
. . Nuclear powered icebreakers are the best solution we have and this is not
going to change in the foreseeable future. It is hard to imagine transport
ships making passages independently, without icebreakers, by simply chipping
off the ice with a laser.”

Still, this laser has
been noticed by the international scientific community: two years ago, the
device was awarded a gold medal at the Inventions Geneva 2013 international
exhibition.

A breakthrough in laser technology

The laser-cutter project
is being implemented by Schwabe Holding,
which is a part of Rostec Corporation. Engineers at Schwabe say the device
represents a “breakthrough
in Russian laser technologies.” A representative from Schwabe told RBTH that, “we
are planning to expand the scope of the laser system, including installing it
on lighter vessels to navigate through Siberian rivers.”

The Financial Times has suggested in March that Russia has
managed to secure advantages in the Arctic race by not abiding to international
environmental standards. However, Schwabe representatives claim the development
of the laser cutter and similar high-tech devices is carried out in accordance
to all international environmental safety standards.

“Once the development of
the laser system is completed, we will conduct all the necessary tests to
confirm the device is safe for the environment and for Arctic fauna and flora,”
officials from Schwabe told RBTH. They added that the system would not be
installed on icebreakers until the tests are passed.

According to
Rosatomflot, the owner of Russia's fleet of nuclear icebreakers, Russian
vessels carry 15 million tons of cargo annually through the Northern seas. If
the new device reaches its full potential, this figure could increase by
several times.